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MTR
In Hong Kong, Timothy Mok had collected several diecast model boxes from Ngong Ping in December 2010 and various items, where Daniel Mok had went on October 2014 and Janice Judith Chan had went in May 2012. *Tsuen Wan Line: Central, Tsim Sha Tsui, Jordan, Mong Kok, Prince Edward, Lai King *Island Line: Admiralty, Causeway Bay *Tung Chung Line: Tung Chung, Sunny Bay, Lai King *Disneyland Resort Line: Sunny Bay, Disneyland Resort *East Rail Line: East Tsim Sha Tsui, Hung Hom, Lo Wu History During the 1960s, the government of Hong Kong saw a need to accommodate increasing road traffic as Hong Kong's economy continued to grow strongly. In 1966, British transportation consultants Freeman, Fox, Wilbur Smith & Associates were appointed to study the transportation system of Hong Kong. The study was based on the projection of the population of Hong Kong for 1986, estimated at 6,868,000. On 1 September 1967, the consultants submitted the Hong Kong Mass Transport Study to the government, which recommended the construction of a rapid transit rail system in Hong Kong. The study suggested that four rail lines be developed in six stages, with a completion date set between December 1973 and December 1984. Detailed positions of lines and stations were presented in the study. These four lines were the Kwun Tong line (from Western Market to Ma Yau Tong), Tsuen Wan line (from Admiralty to Tsuen Wan), Island line (from Kennedy to Chai Wan Central), and Shatin line (from Tsim Sha Tsui to Wo Liu Hang). The study was submitted to the Legislative Council on 14 February 1968. The consultants received new data from the 1966 by-census on 6 March 1968. A short supplementary report was submitted on 22 March 1968 and amended in June 1968. The by-census indicated that the projected 1986 population was reduced by more than one million from the previous estimate to 5,647,000. The dramatic reduction affected town planning. The population distribution was largely different from the original study. The projected 1986 populations of Castle Peak New Town, Sha Tin New Town, and, to a lesser extent, Tsuen Wan New Town, were revised downward, and the plan of a new town in Tseung Kwan O was shelved. In this updated scenario, the consultants reduced the scale of the recommended system. The supplementary report stated that the originally suggested four tracks between Admiralty station and Mong Kok station should be reduced to two, and only parts of the Island line, Tsuen Wan line, and Kwun Tong line should be constructed for the initial system. The other lines would be placed in the list of extensions. This report led to the final study in 1970. In 1970, a system with four lines was laid out and planned as part of the British consultants' new report, Hong Kong Mass Transit: Further Studies. The four lines were to be the Kwun Tong line, Tsuen Wan line, Island line, and East Kowloon line. However, the lines that were eventually constructed were somewhat different compared to the lines that were originally proposed by the Hong Kong Mass Transport Study. In 1972, the Hong Kong government authorised construction of the Initial System, a system that roughly translates to today's Kwun Tong line between Kwun Tong and Prince Edward, Tsuen Wan line between Prince Edward and Admiralty, and Island line between Sheung Wan and Admiralty. The Mass Transit Steering Committee, chaired by the Financial Secretary Philip Haddon-Cave, began negotiations with four major construction consortia in 1973. The government's intention was to tender the entire project, based on the British design, as a single tender at a fixed price. A consortium from Japan, led by Mitsubishi, submitted the only proposal within the government's $5 billion price ceiling. They signed an agreement to construct the system in early 1974, but in December of the same year, pulled out of the agreement for reasons stemming from fears of the oil crisis. Several weeks later, in early 1975, the Mass Transit Steering Group was replaced by the Mass Transport Provisional Authority, which held more executive powers. It announced that the Initial System would be reduced to and renamed the "Modified Initial System". Plans for a single contract were abandoned in favour of 25 engineering contracts and 10 electrical and mechanical contracts. On 7 May 1975 the Legislative Council passed legislation setting up the government-owned Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) to replace the Mass Transport Provisional Authority. Construction of the Modified Initial System (now part of the Kwun Tong line and Tsuen Wan line) commenced in November 1975. The northern section was completed on 30 September 1979 and was opened on 1 October 1979 by Governor Murray MacLehose. Trains on this route ran from Shek Kip Mei station to Kwun Tong station, initially in a four-car configuration. The first train drivers were trained on the London Underground. The route from Tsim Sha Tsui station to Shek Kip Mei station opened in December 1979. The first line was designed by a consortium of consultants led by Freeman Fox and partners. On later extensions to the railway the stations were designed under the supervision of Roland Paoletti, the chief architect at MTR. The government approved construction of the Tsuen Wan line in 1977, then known as the Tsuen Wan Extension, and works commenced in November 1978. The project added a 10.5-kilometre (6.5 mi) section to the MTR system, from Prince Edward to Tsuen Wan. The line started service on 10 May 1982 with a total cost of construction (not adjusted for inflation) of HK$4.1 billion (US$526 million). The plan was modified from that in the 1970 report Hong Kong Mass Transit: Further Studies, with Kwai Chung station, Lap Sap Wan station, and a planned depot at Kwai Chung next to Lap Sap Wan station being replaced by stations at Kwai Hing and Kwai Fong and a depot at Tsuen Wan. Several stations also had names different to that during planning: So Uk station became Cheung Sha Wan, Cheung Sha Wan became Lai Chi Kok, and Lai Chi Kok became Lai Wan (later renamed as Mei Foo). When service of this line started, the section of the Kwun Tong line from Chater to Argyle (since renamed Central and Mong Kok stations respectively) was transferred to the Tsuen Wan line. Thus, Waterloo station (since renamed Yau Ma Tei station) became the terminus of the Kwun Tong line, and both Argyle and Prince Edward stations became interchange stations. This change was made because system planners expected the traffic of the Tsuen Wan line to exceed that of the Kwun Tong line. This forecast proved to be accurate, necessitating a bypass from the northwestern New Territories to Hong Kong Island. The Tung Chung line was therefore launched in 1998 with an interchange station at Lai King for that purpose. Although land acquisitions were made for a station at Tsuen Wan West, beyond Tsuen Wan station, as part of the Tsuen Wan branch, the station was never built. This is not to be confused with the modern-day Tsuen Wan West station on West Rail line, which lies on a newly reclaimed area near the former ferry pier. Since opening in 1982, the Tsuen Wan line is the line whose alignment has remained the same for the longest time. For example, the Kwun Tong line's alignment has changed twice since its opening—the taking over of Tsuen Wan line from Mong Kok to Central, and the taking over of Eastern Harbour Crossing section by the Tseung Kwan O line. In 1984, the government approved the construction of the Eastern Harbour Crossing, a tunnel to be used by cars and MTR trains. The Kwun Tong line was extended across the harbour on 5 August 1989 to Quarry Bay station, which became an interchange station for the Kwun Tong line and the Island line. An intermediate station, Lam Tin, started operations on 1 October 1989. The first tunnel was built in 1980 as Cross Harbour Tunnel (along Kwun Tong Line, now known as Tsuen Wan Line), followed by in 1998 for the Western Harbour Crossing (along Tung Chung Line and Airport Express). The Quarry Bay Congestion Relief Works extended the Hong Kong Island end of the Kwun Tong line from Quarry Bay to North Point via a pair of 2.1-kilometre (1.3 mi) tunnels. The project was initiated due to overcrowding at Quarry Bay and persistent passenger complaints about the five-minute walk from the Island line platforms to the Kwun Tong line platform. Construction began in September 1997 and was completed in September 2001 at a cost of HK$3.1 billion. As with most earlier interchange stations, a cross-platform interchange arrangement was provided here in both directions. Construction of the Tseung Kwan O line (called the Tseung Kwan O extension line in the planning stage) was approved on 18 August 1998 to serve new housing developments. Construction began on 24 April 1999 and the line officially opened in 2002. It took over the existing Kwun Tong line tracks running through the Eastern Harbour Tunnel, so that the full line stretches from Po Lam to North Point. When the line was opened, the Kwun Tong line was diverted to Tiu Keng Leng on the new line. Construction costs were partly covered by the Hong Kong Government and private developers which linked construction of the Tseung Kwan O Line to new real estate and commercial developments. On 5 October 2000 the operator of the MTR network, MTR Corporation (MTRCL), became Hong Kong's first rail company to be privatised, marking the beginning of the Hong Kong government's initiative to dissolve its interests in public utilities. Prior to its listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) was wholly owned by the Hong Kong government. The offering involved the sale of about one billion shares, and the company now has the largest shareholder base of any company listed in Hong Kong. In June 2001, MTRCL was transferred to the Hang Seng Index. MTRCL has often developed properties next to stations to complement its already profitable railway business. Many recently built stations were incorporated into large housing estates or shopping complexes. For example, Tsing Yi station is built next to the Maritime Square shopping centre and directly underneath the Tierra Verde housing estate. Lantau Airport Railway The Airport Express and Tung Chung Line started in 1998. The decision was made in October 1989 to construct a new international airport at Chek Lap Kok on Lantau Island to replace the overcrowded Kai Tak International Airport. The government then invited the MTRC to build a train line, then known as Lantau Airport Railway. Construction started in November 1994, after the Chinese and the British governments settled the financial and land disagreements. The new line was included in the financing plans of the Hong Kong International Airport as the airport is not viable without any direct public transport links. Construction costs were shared by the MTRC, which was granted large scale developments in the construction plans for the new stations. The Lantau Airport Railway turned into two MTR lines, the Tung Chung line and the Airport Express. The Tung Chung line was officially opened on 21 June 1998 by Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, and service commenced the next day. The Airport Express opened for service on 6 July 1998 along with the new Hong Kong International Airport. In addition, two stations were opened later, and it is not connected together - Nam Cheong (2003) and Sunny Bay (2005). Olympic station is not connected together. In the future, the Tung Chung Line will have stations such as Siu Ho Wan, Tai Ho, Tung Chung East and possible extension to Tung Chung West. The Airport Express also offers flight check-in facilities at Kowloon station and Hong Kong station—the in-town check-ins offer a more convenient and time-saving routine; a free shuttle bus service transports travellers from these stations to their respective hotels as well. Porters are also available to help transport luggage from and onto trains. Railway Merger On 11 April 2006, MTRCL signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with the Hong Kong government, the owner of Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation, to merge the operation of the two railway networks in Hong Kong in spite of the strong opposition by the KCRC staff. The minority shareholders of the corporation approved the proposal at an extraordinary general meeting on 9 October 2007, allowing MTRCL to take over the operation of the KCR network and combine the fare system of the two networks on 2 December 2007. On 2 December 2007 the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) granted a 50-year service concession (which may be extended) of the KCR network to MTRCL, in return for making annual payments to KCRC, thereby merging the railway operations of the two corporations under MTRCL's management. At the same time MTRCL changed its Chinese name from "地下鐵路有限公司" (Subway Limited Company) to "香港鐵路有限公司" (Hong Kong Railway Limited Company), but left its English name unchanged; at the same time the system's Chinese name changed from "地鐵" ("Subway") to "港鐵" ("Hong Kong Railway"). After the merger, the MTR network included three more lines—East Rail line, West Rail line, and Ma On Shan line—as well as the light rail network and Guangdong through train to Guangzhou. On 28 September 2008, fare zones of all urban lines, East Rail line, Ma On Shan Line and West Rail line were merged. A passenger could travel on these networks with only one ticket, except where a transfer is made between Tsim Sha Tsui and East Tsim Sha Tsui stations, where two tickets are required. Student discounts on Octopus Card were also issued. A proposal to extend the existing Kwun Tong line to Whampoa Garden was made in April 2006 and approved in March 2008 as part of the bid for the Sha Tin to Central Link. Two new stations at Whampoa and Ho Man Tin opened on 23 October 2016. It was supposed to be extended to Fortress Hill in the earlier Masterplans. New Lines The Disneyland Resort Line, previously known as Penny's Bay Rail Link, provides services to the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort when it was opened on 12 September 2005, together with Sunny Bay station (formerly known as Yam O). It is a 3.5km single track railway and the Disneyland Resort station blends with the resort. The trains were also refurbished to the Disney windows in the MTR. The LOHAS Park Spur Line is an extension of the Tseung Kwan O line, splitting off after Tseung Kwan O station. It serves the new residential development of LOHAS Park (formerly "Dream City"), a 3,550,000-square-foot (330,000 m2) estate with fifty residential towers. The project is divided into 9 to 13 phases and is about halfway complete as of 2016. These high rises sit above LOHAS Park station, which opened on 26 July 2009. The Sha Tin to Central Link project will create two new rail corridors upon completion. The Tai Wai to Hung Hom section was expected to be completed in 2019 (but delayed indefinitely due to serious problems with construction quality at the Hung Hom station), connecting the Ma On Shan line and West Rail line to form the Tuen Ma line. The section from Hung Hom to Admiralty, across Victoria Harbour, is expected to be completed some time after that. This will be the extension of East Rail Line (formerly North-South Corridor). The Tuen Ma Line will be the merger of West Rail Line and Ma On Shan Line. Tuen Ma Line is made up of "Tuen Mun" and "Ma On Shan" links. It will be extended to Tuen Mun South, and Tung Chung West, similar to Punggol Coast MRT Station for the North East Line. The North Island Line is a planned extension of the Tseung Kwan O Line that will interchange at Tamar station with the Tung Chung line. It will alleviate the traffic in the northern part of Hong Kong Island as Island Line is near to the capacity. There will be three new stations: Tamar, Exhibition Centre (which will be an interchange between the North Island line and the North South Corridor), and Causeway Bay North. Construction is expected to begin in 2021 and finish in 2026. The cost is estimated to be HK$20 billion in 2013 prices. The Northern Link is a proposed new line which connects Tuen Ma line with the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line of East Rail line. It also has Au Tau, Ngau Tam Mei, San Tin, a future interchange station between East Rail line and Northern Link, Kwu Tung, which will become a terminus for Northern link. The East Kowloon line would serve the East Kowloon area to Tseung Kwan O New Town via the hilly Sau Mau Ping residential area. West Island Line and South Island Line Consultant Freeman, Fox, Wilbur Smith & Associates, has been hired by Hong Kong government, studied possibilities of mass transport in Hong Kong. On September 1967, they proposed a mass transit railway network, which included Island Line from Kennedy Town to Chai Wan. On 1980, only Sheung Wan to Chai Wan section was approved due to debt of MTRC and ageing population of Western District. Yet, some of the ground-level-units within private buildings are reserved by government through public easement, in order to preserve for railway station entrances. The West Island Line was first in Railway Development Strategy 2000 by Transport Bureau,aiming to reform with Tseung Kwan O Line and part of the Island Line as a new railway corridor. The MTR Corporation Limited (MTRC) submitted its first proposal for the South Island Line and West Island Line in May 2002. The new lines were intended to promote tourism in Aberdeen. The West Island line would be an extension of the Island Line. In the proposal, the South Island Line would be a semicircular line with nine stations, intended to serve the southern end of Hong Kong Island towards Aberdeen. It would interchange with the Island Line at University and Wan Chai, which would also be its terminus stations. The stations in between would be, from University, Cyberport, Wah Fu, South Horizons, Lei Tung, Wong Chuk Hang, Ocean Park, and Happy Valley. The West Island line would be an extension of the Island Line. Construction of the new West Island line would be divided into two phases. Phase one would begin at the already existing Sheung Wan station. A further two stations, Sai Ying Pun and University (near The University of Hong Kong) would be added to extend the length of the Island Line. University would also serve as an interchange for the South Island Line. Phase two would include an extension to Kennedy Town. The construction of phase two, which will include a depot near Kennedy Town station, is subject to the land availability of the western reclamation. On 21 January 2003, the Executive Council of Hong Kong made modifications to the South Island Line plans, to achieve a more cost-effective option and taking into account the parallel development of Route 4. However, the first proposal had some major drawbacks. Specifically, construction of West Island Line as heavy rail would not include Kennedy Town if there was no Western reclamation. There would also be environmental and traffic management challenges if West Island Line went under Des Voeux Road West. There would not be an Aberdeen station for serving the Aberdeen area, and a transfer station at Wan Chai would not cater well for the needs of cross-harbour trips (passengers would have to change to Island Line trains heading and again to Tsuen Wan Line trains at Admiralty for cross-harbour trips). The Executive Council gave MTRC permission to proceed with further planning on Phase 1 of West Island Line. However, the first proposal had some major drawbacks. Specifically, construction of West Island Line as heavy railway type tunnels and stations would not include Kennedy Town if there is no Western reclamation. There would also be great environmental impact and traffic management challenge if West Island Line goes under Des Voeux Road West. To respond to the criticism directed towards the original proposal, the MTRC started a feasibility study of the lines in mid-2003 to look for cost effective options to improve the system. The study also evaluated the external benefits of the project and its impact on other modes of public transport. The company derived a modified proposal in November 2003, with three options of alignment in the South Island Line part, to address the drawbacks in the initial scheme. The western section of the South Island Line was transferred to the West Island Line, now a medium capacity rail line from Sheung Wan to Wong Chuk Hang interchanging with the Island Line at Sheung Wan. The South Island Line would also be a medium capacity system. The revised alignment scheme in March 2004 also had the extension of Island Line to Sai Ying Pun. Deferral of the Scheme On 28 May 2004, the Panel of Transport of Legislative Council held a meeting to consider the development of West and South Island Lines alongside with the highway link (Route 4). Residential, environmental and some professional organisations support building the lines instead of highway. Rail links are more environmentally friendly and will help ease congestion of the Aberdeen Tunnel. The lines can also help sustainable development and will preserve the shoreline along western and southern Hong Kong Island. Other transport operators and various organisations opposed the rail link, claiming that the rail link could lead to severe competition between different modes of transport, and that reduction of road transport might eventually cause job losses. Some panel members stated that the projected population growth in the south cannot support the new lines, and that the government should have a thorough plan on how to develop the Southern District before implementing the rail links. However, some panel members suggested that the new lines could help promote tourism in the area. They asked the government to moderate the various modes of transport upon the new lines' inaugurations so as to relieve concerns from the transport operators. Government officials stated that the low ridership of the West Rail Line and its rail incidents warranted extra planning on the new rail lines to ensure enough ridership and appropriate, cost-effective system design. Therefore, the West Island Line and South Island line project was deferred, and approval was given to the detailed planning of the highway. Final Alignment On 25 February 2005, the Panel of Transport of Legislative Council had a meeting discussing West and South Island Line. MTR has submitted a revised scheme on 22 February and an introduction to the scheme was conducted in the meeting. The three alignment options of South Island Line were: * Option A: Ocean Park - Happy Valley - Wan Chai - Admiralty *: This alignment is the most expensive, but has the greatest catchment. * Option B: Ocean Park - Admiralty (no intermediate station) *: Reduces travel times from Southern District to CBD. Least expensive option. * Option C: Ocean Park - Admiralty (with possible extension to Wan Chai and Happy Valley) *: Similar to option B, but enables further extension to Happy Valley in the future. West Island Line The West Island Line, placed by the government on 21 January 2003, is the extension of Island Line. It serves the Western District of Hong Kong Island. Construction began on 10 August 2009. Kennedy Town station and HKU station opened on 28 December 2014. Sai Ying Pun station opened later, on 29 March 2015, due to construction delays. It was only the extension of the Island Line. The rest became the west section of the South Island Line. West Island Line construction work began in 2009 and expected to completed in 2014. Yet, MTRC revealed the deferral of construction in May 2014. Two entrance of Sai Ying Pun station, which are for Queen's Road West and First Street, had suffered unstable ground condition. The ground-freezing method was used, but it would delay the commencement of Sai Ying Pun. In the same month, MTRC proposed to government that West Island Line would be opened as schedule, but Sai Ying Pun would not be in service for public. Government acknowledged and agreed with the plan. South Island Line (West) The South Island line (West) was part of the same original proposal as the South Island Line, and would connect HKU to Wong Chuk Hang around the west coast of Hong Kong Island, however construction has not started as of 2019. The MTR claimed that the latest scheme had the following advantages: *No reclamation needed, and it alleviates air and noise pollution *Supporting tourism in Southern District: as Wong Chuk Hang will soon have nine new hotels and Ocean Park will be redeveloped *The officials from Environment, Transport and Works Bureau said that consideration of funding depends on the development of tourism in Southern District, especially after the submission of Ocean Park redevelopment project. In February 2007, the government announced in a Southern District Council meeting that the South Island Line was currently at a 4th priority when it came to future railway projects, much to the anger of the district councillors present. This implied that the South Island Line was unlikely to be opened to the public before 2015. On 10 October 2007, Chief executive Donald Tsang announced in the policy address that the South Island Line would start construction in around 2011, and will be opened in 2015. On 27 October 2007, MTR announced that stations will be built in Wong Chuk Hang and around Ocean Park, but MTR did not confirm whether the line will pass through Wan Chai and Happy Valley. South Island Line (West) readdress on the Railway Development Strategy 2014. During consultation stage, consultant AECOM and MVA suggested to divide South Island Line into two sections: *Aberdeen Section: Wah Fu, Tin Wan, Aberdeen, Wong Chuk Hang *Pokfulam Section: Hong Kong University, Queen Mary Hospital, Cyberport They suggested that Aberdeen Section had higher traffic demand, as commuters would take a short alignment to Admiralty or CBD. Plus, Tin Wan was first taken into consideration and Queen Mary Hospital was re-proposal after 2004 scheme. Yet, this divided scheme was opposed by some of the Southern District Councillors, Cyberport commuters and residents. Some Southern District Councillors, like Lo Kin-hei and Henry Chai disagreed, especially after government has given MTRC topside development rights of Wong Chuk Hang Depot. The profit of topside housing is estimated to be fifty billion Hong Kong Dollars. In the final report of Railway Development Strategy 2014, it confirmed the need of South Island Line (West), but it did not determine whether to build the whole line or not. The estimated cost is twenty-five billion dollars in 2013 price.The implementation window for planning purpose is between 2021 and 2026, but still depend on the progress of Wah Fu Estate redevelopment. South Island Line The South Island Line was opened on 28 December 2016, which provides connection from Central to Ap Lei Chau area (South Horizons), for the first time. With the opening of South Island Line, all 18 districts are served by the MTR. On 18 December 2007, the Executive Council had approved the construction of the South Island Line. A total of five stations will be built, not inclusive of Wan Chai and Happy Valley. It will take 10 minutes to travel from South Horizons to Admiralty, reducing the need to take route 1. The railway will be automated and medium-capacity rail system which is costing HK$10 billion, compared to HK$7 billion in deficit in 2006. In June 2011 a resident of the South Horizons private residential estate at Ap Lei Chau filed suit against the government (including the chief executive, Transport Department, and Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau) in the High Court to block the construction of the South Island Line. His suit alleged that the dust resulting from the construction of the line would cause harm to trees, and that the importation of large numbers of mainland and South Asian construction workers posed a threat to public safety. Project Agreements and Entrustment Agreement for MTR South Island Line and the Kwun Tong Line Extension were signed by the Hong Kong government and MTR Corporation on 18 May 2011. South Island Line (East) would be constructed in accordance to 2007 scheme. The opening of the South Island Line was originally planned for 2015. On 21 May 2014, an informant told Apple Daily that the commencement date of the line would be postponed by one and a half years. MTR Corporation asserted it would be opened as expected. Yet, the Transport and Housing Bureau revealed the delay of construction work and demanded MTR to review the commencement. Members of the Legislative Council and District Council criticised MTR for hiding the project's progress from the public and demanded a progress report at the Council's meeting. Eight days later at the South District Council meeting, MTRC announced the delay was caused by the expansion work of Admiralty Station. High-density building, underground public facilities and the existing Admiralty Station would prolong the work progress, as "safety comes first". However, the claimed 2015 opening date remained unchanged. In November 2014, a revised opening date of December 2016 was announced. In October 2016, MTRC chairman Frederick Ma warned that the opening of the South Island Line could be delayed by three more months. However, on 10 November 2016, he announced the South Island Line would open by the end of 2016, saying the engineering team overcame the many challenges in expanding Admiralty Station. Finally, MTRC chief executive Lincoln Leong officially declared the South Island Line would begin operation on 28 December 2016.